WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?Leadership is an interactive conversation that pulls people toward becoming comfortable with the language of personal responsibility and commitment.

LEADERSHIP TIPS“The crux of leadership development that works is self-directed learning: intentionally developing or strengthening an aspect of who you are or who you want to be, or both.” Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee (Harvard Business School Press)

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With Headscarf Case, Supreme Court Could Make Discrimination Even Easier

By Guest Author R. Scott Oswald

Imagine you're a store owner who's interviewing three finalists for a sales job. All are equally qualified-but two need a little flexibility.

Daniel is Jewish; he doesn't work on Friday nights or Saturdays.

Lisa is a Christian who doesn't work on Sundays.

The third candidate, Kim, can work any day.

At your store everyone gets weekend duty twice a month. A while ago you bent the rules for a Sabbath observer: It was no hardship, but it caused muttering. You'd prefer not to do it again.

During interviews neither Daniel nor Lisa mentions religion; you never ask. But Daniel talks about growing up in Israel, just as your last Sabbath observer did. A potential problem, you conclude, and cross him off your list. You offer the job to Lisa, unaware she has a similar conflict.

Have you discriminated illegally against Daniel? Probably so: The law requires you to discuss reasonable accommodations for religious practices.

But let's be frank: Unless you reveal your private thoughts, you'll likely get away with it.

Hiring bias thrives on such silent brush-offs. Job seekers in wheelchairs know the shabby routine. So do job seekers of color, job seekers with foreign accents, older job seekers, and others. Every day these applicants must swallow unjust rejection, knowing they can't call anyone to account.

Every once in a while, however, an employer tips its hand. Back in 2011, for instance, a federal court found that Abercrombie & Fitch, the clothing retailer, discriminated when it rejected a Muslim job seeker who interviewed in a headscarf, or hijab.

On February 25 the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether to let Abercrombie off the hook. The case focuses on religious bias, but it may also affect disabled workers and some pregnant women. In effect, the Court could deny protection to applicants who don't warn employers explicitly that they'll need flexibility-even if the employers end up rejecting them on exactly that basis.

Some background: At über-preppy Abercrombie, black clothing is verboten for salespeople, as is some headwear. Nonetheless, in 2008 Heather Cooke, an Abercrombie hiring manager in Tulsa, Okla., decided she wanted to hire then-17-year-old Samantha Elauf, who had worn a black headscarf to her interview.

Cooke correctly assumed that Elauf wore the scarf for religious reasons, but she never raised the issue and figured that Abercrombie could adapt its rules. When Cooke checked with a higher-up, however, she was ordered to ding Elauf for the hijab. The lower rating made Elauf unhirable, and Cooke never called the teenager back.

For most job seekers, the story would end there-another silent rejection. But a friend at Abercrombie tipped Elauf, who contacted the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC sued Abercrombie on her behalf, claiming that the retailer knew it should try to accommodate the hijab-yet failed to discuss it. The judge agreed, and a jury awarded Elauf $20,000.

Abercrombie appealed, saying it couldn't be liable for failing to do something that Elauf never requested-and anyhow, that it didn't know for sure about the scarf. A federal appeals court bought that logic, setting up next week's showdown.

How would our imaginary job seekers fare if Abercrombie wins again?

First Daniel, who studied in Israel and never knew of your Sabbath issue. Out of luck, says Abercrombie: He didn't specify his need, so you don't have to accommodate it.

But suppose, in a fit of honesty, you tell Daniel why you rejected him. Now can he hold you accountable? Still no, says Abercrombie: Liability kicks in only after an explicit request.

How about Lisa, who doesn't work Sundays? Let's say she spoke up during your interview, trying to protect her rights. Would you still have hired her?

Or would you maybe have "realized" that flexible Kim is a better candidate-for totally non-discriminatory reasons, of course-and issued another silent rejection?

Thought so.

Employees live in the real world; so must our laws. Hiring bias is common, and already tough to prove. The Supreme Court shouldn't make things worse by making job seekers' legal rights depend on their mind-reading ability-or on their willingness to risk a job offer.

If an employer shows bias, it should answer to a jury.

R. Scott Oswald is managing principal of The Employment Law Group, P.C.

He is a past president of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association.

"Life is not an either/or prospect--you can have it all," says author David Howitt. "It is for the innovator whose creativity is stifled, the job hunter losing hope, the spiritual seeker afraid of financial success, and the professional who no longer feels connected and fulfilled."

We all have the drive to share our gifts, despite our egos telling us it is safer to remain hidden in the familiar comfort zone of an average life. We are all made of cosmic elements that make us destined to mature and transform. The hero archetype lives within all of us, and it brings with it the potential power to shine and surpass our wildest dreams. This innate birthright to become a source of light in our world is possible for everyone. It is manifested in our lives, sometimes when we do not even expect it, in places such as our businesses.

The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.

In a letter to Mr. Cayce, the author Thomas Sugrue said, "THERE IS A RIVER is not only an account of the most completely documented series of experiments in clairvoyance ever undertaken; it is a history of our times in terms of the spirit of man--crystallized and personified in the struggle that constantly went on in the hidden places of your heart. I don't wish to be immodest, for my part in the tale is inconsequential, but if any reader can honestly say that he is not thrilled by this book, as I was in the writing of it, I will pay him the purchase price and eat his copy. The publisher says the cover of the limited edition will easily outlast its first owners."

And so it has, as I now begin to reread this life-changing book in January 2015.

This first edition was printed on quality paper, bound in cloth, with portrait frontispiece. Each copy was numbered and signed by Edgar Cayce with a personal message for each purchaser, since he knew to which of his many friends each copy went after being published on November 12, 1942.

Back in history, it was recognized that certain people could be hypnotized while being able to be mentally alert and in a state that showed remarkable intelligence and apparent powers of clairvoyance.

In one full-page article in the Sunday magazine section of The New York Times of October 9, 1910, the headline read, "Illiterate Man Becomes a Doctor When Hypnotized--Strange Power Shown By Edgar Cayce Puzzles Physicians". The first paragraph read: "The medical fraternity of the country is taking a lively interest in the strange power said to be possessed by Edgar Cayce of Hopkinsville, KY, to diagnose difficult diseases while in a semi-conscious state, though he has not the slightest knowledge of medicine when not in this condition."

When asked to explain this, The New York Times reported: "Edgar Cayce's mind is amenable to suggestion, the same as all other subconscious minds, but in addition thereto it has the power to interpret to the objective mind of others what it acquired from the subconscious state of other individuals of the same kind. The subconscious mind forgets nothing. The conscious mind receives the impression from without and transfers all thought to the subconscious, where it remains even though the conscious be destroyed."

Since that 1910 The New York Times article, we have learned much about the superconscious part of the mind or psychic activity:

1: transcending human consciousness

2: of, relating to, or possessing the highest consciousness or a margin of consciousness above that within the ordinary range of attention.

"No man is born into the world whose work is not born with him." James Russell Lowell

Many believe that we are all spiritually driven. But that energy can be dissipated if our actions are scattered and we feel pulled in various directions. Once we know who we are and what we're meant to do, we have new-found energy that pulls us forward. When we don't know, we feel that we are spinning our wheels, we're tired and not accomplishing much.

Defining our life signaturebegins by tracing our talents back over the years. There is a growing percentage of people thinking about the meaning of their life. This genuine spiritual concern is broader than traditional views of religion practiced in numerous countries of the world. Yet, it is unclear to most how to live their life in a meaningful way.

Change takes practice. It is very hard to bring about significant change in behavior. Powerful counter-vailing forces appear when we attempt to engineer positive change alone. Although you can do it on your own, a mentor or coach will help to more quickly navigate the hunt toward discovering your life signature. You will be required to make a commitment to staying focused and being prepared.

Let your life signature be your guide. Once discovered, you will know where and how to leverage your time and talents.

Know what is important. Spending time on what's important adjusts your focus toward potentially positive outcomes, instead of negative ones. By knowing who you areand what you are meant to do, you don't waste time tolerating what's not important. This results in building your innate signature talentsinto well developed strengths while experiencing a sense of well-being and increased self-awareness.

Divine Law can neither be ignored nor put aside. Perhaps, the most important of these laws is the 'law of love.' Put simply, "Love is Law, Law is Love." This amounts to the same thing as "the gift of giving" without the "hope of reward or pay," or serving others.

The Law of Love flows through all religions. Here is an interesting story, Christmas Love by Candy Chand, that speaks to the Law of Love:

"Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations -- extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment -- songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row-center stage -- held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down -- totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W." The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W." Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

Reciprocation flows from Divine Law that can neither be ignored or put aside. Perhaps, the most important of these laws is the 'law of love.' Put simply, "Love is Law, Law is Love. God is Love, Love is God." This amounts to the same thing as "the gift of giving" without the "hope of reward or pay," or serving others.

This 'law of love' is identified in many different ways--for example, in Wayne Baker's bestseller, "Achieving Success Through Social Capital", this law of love in the workplace is described as the "law of reciprocity."

The law of reciprocityis not what can best be described as "transactional reciprocity." Baker says that, "Many people conceive of their business dealings as spot market exchanges--value given for value received, period. Nothing more, nothing less. This tit-for-tat mode of operation can produce success, but it doesn't invoke the power of reciprocity and so fails to yield extraordinary success."

Baker explains, "The lesson is that we cannot pursue the power of reciprocity. When we try to invoke reciprocity directly, we lose sight of the reason for it: helping others. Paradoxically, it is in helping others without expecting reciprocity in return that we invoke the power of reciprocity. The path to reciprocity is indirect: reciprocity ensues from the social capital built by making contributions to others.

"One of the most potent of the weapons of influence around us is the rule for reciprocation. The rule says that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us."

Robert B. Cialdini, author of "The Psychology of Persuasion" (William Morrow, 1993)

What is a reciprocity advantage and how can an organization achieve this?

A reciprocity advantage is the new, complementary business you create by sharing your assets to unlock additional growth potential--it's a new competitive advantage. You create this advantage in four steps: define your right-of-way (the underutilized resources you already own that you can share with others); partner to do what you can't do alone; experiment to learn together; and then scale your new business at low risk.

Grounded in research, "The Reciprocity Advantage" by authors Bob Johansen and Karl Ronn, argues that this strategy will enable companies to grow more and faster than ever before. Your business or nonprofit can grow from this approach too if you:

1. Find your right-of-way--Underutilized assets you can share with others

2. Partner with others to create a complementary new business

3. Experiment together to learn the new business model

4. Scale it when you find a new business that is Desirable, Viable, and Ownable (you know how to win when the market matures).

The reciprocity advantage will scale much faster if it is grounded in trust. In a world of increasing global connectivity, the importance of trust will increase. Transparency will be required, while control of your own brand story will be increasingly difficult. If you are not trustworthy, you will not grow in this world--at least not for long.

The subconscious mind consists of a field of consciousness, in which every impulse of thought that reaches the objective mind through any of the five senses is classified and recorded, and from which thoughts may be recalled or withdrawn.

The subconscious mind works night and day. Through a method of procedure, unknown to man, the subconsious mind draws upon the forces of Infinite Intelligence for the power with which it voluntarily transmutes one's desires into their physical equivalent, making use always of the most practical media by which this end may be accomplished.

You can not entirely control your subconscious mind, but you can voluntarily hand over to it any plan, desire or purpose which you wish transformed into concrete form. It alone contains the secret process by which mental impulses are modified and changed into their spiritual equivalent.

The possibilities of creative effort connected with the subconscious mind are stupendous and imponderable. They inspire one with awe.

Everything which man creates begins in the form of a thought impulse. Man can create nothing which he does not first conceive in thought.

"Nothing happens unless first a dream." Carl Sandburg

All thought impulses, intended for transmutation into their physical equivalent, voluntarily planted in the subconscious mind, must pass through the imagination, and be mixed with faith. The "mixing" of faith with a plan or purpose, intended for submission to the subconscious mind, may be done only through the imagination.

Other researchers have shown that people who dream of practicing a routine can improve their abilities in that activity in real life. Early evidence also suggests that lucid dreaming may help improve depressive symptoms and mental health in general, perhaps by giving people a greater sense of self-control.

Many of the studies are small, however, and it isn't always clear whether lucid dreaming is responsible for the improvements or simply linked to them, experts say. People vary tremendously in how often they remember their dreams, as well as their degree of awareness and control while dreaming.

Most people aren't aware when they're dreaming, which tends to occur in a stage known as rapid-eye movement, or REM, sleep. Yet even with the body in a very deep sleep, the mind is very active.

Surveys suggest that about half of us will have at least one experience in our lifetimes. Lucid dreaming comes more easily to some people, but experts say it can be learned.

Pope Francis believes that authentic humility empowers leaders like no other leadership quality.

"If we can develop a truly humble attitude, we can change the world," wrote Jorge Mario Bergoglio before becoming pope. And he misses no opportunity to show that a person can never be too humble and that people can learn to be more humble. In doing so, he has altered the standards by which we measure our leaders.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis rose from humble beginnings to become the head of the largest Christian church in the world. Yet, he has not forgotten where he came from and has injected his humility and humanity into his leadership as Pontiff. Rather than embracing extravagance and grandiosity, Pope Francis has chosen to remain modest and encourages others to follow his lead. "Francis lives by a set of values that consistently places others before himself, viewing his leadership role as a servant. Let us never forget that authentic power is service," proclaimed Pope Francis during his inaugural mass.

Pope Francis believes that authentic humility empowers leaders like no other leadership quality. For business leaders, this means never use your position of leader for selfish reasons, to make yourself accessible to your employees with either an open door policy or a cubicle instead of an office, and to stop excessive, needless spending at the office on items like lunches at expensive restaurants and extravagant holiday parties.

In his book, "Lead with Humility: 12 Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis," Jeffrey A. Krames explores the lessons business leaders can learn from Pope Francis. From tackling adversity to avoiding insularity and promoting inclusivity, the book offers insight into how Pope Francis' early career has shaped his duties as Pontiff.

We are called to conduct leadership in government, commerce, schools, neighborhoods, families, parachurch ministries and a myriad of other contexts.

The foundation for those who want to conduct leadership in a manner consistent with their faith in both religious and nonreligious organizational context is described in "Organizational Leadership: Foundations & Practices for Christians." In this book, the authors have been able to take a theory base that is indifferent to the Christian worldview and construct a theory of leadership that is planted firmly on a Christian theological foundation.

As we are living in a world of unparalleled religious wars and corporate greed, our world is in desperate need of a new leadership model inspired by the Law of Love (www.LawofLove.com) shared with the world.

The people who study leadership are action-oriented and want to learn skills they can use to fix the problems they see in their organizations. Action-oriented people often act as if theory should be relegated to the ranks of academics because it is irrelevant for those who are doing the hard work of conducting leadership in organizations.

The leadership literature is vast, and for decades scholars have experimented with ways to organize the literature into some sort of coherent form. Students learn theories best when they are able to assign discrete concepts to similar families of ideas. These families of ideas can be described as "leadership schools."

Leadership schools are not bound by discrete epochs, but have continuously ebbed and flowed over the ages with regard to their influence. To address the limitations of timelines, a river metaphor has been used successfully as an instructional tool in leadership courses and workshops for more than a decade. This book uses the metaphor of "the leadership river" for understanding the historical emergence of leadership theory.